An Elderly Man as Saint Paul
- Artist: Rembrandt
- Date: probably 1659
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the "An Elderly Man as Saint Paul" by Rembrandt. Painted in the late 1650s, this work belongs to a series of half-length pictures of religious figures that Rembrandt was fascinated with during this period.
The saint's traditional attributes are just about visible - an open book sits on the table in front of him and a sword leans against the wall behind him. But what really stands out is the roundel in the upper left, depicting Abraham interrupting his son Isaac's sacrifice. This episode was important to Rembrandt, who had painted and etched it before including it here.
Rembrandt saw Saint Paul as an example of faith in God, referencing the attempted sacrifice in his Epistle to the Hebrews. The painting is dominated by dark brown and ochre tones, typical of Rembrandt's style during this period. And if you look closely, you'll see that the picture is signed and dated to the right of Saint Paul's head - 1659.
The roundel above the sword is a particularly interesting detail. It was only rediscovered when the painting was cleaned in the 1940s, and it shows Abraham about to sacrifice his son Isaac, with an angel interrupting him. Rembrandt had painted this exact moment decades earlier, and he also made an etching of the subject in 1655.
This is a powerful example of how Rembrandt used typology - relating Old Testament events or figures to New Testament ones - in his work. It's a testament to his skill as an artist that he could convey such depth and meaning with just a few subtle details.
See it in person
An Elderly Man as Saint Paul hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
